My precious wife is suffering side effects from insulin…please help

My kid has had type 1 diabetes for 30 years and to my knowledge, the only side effect has been hypoglycemia- low blood sugar. Is your wife having low blood sugars? If so, she can talk to her doctor about lowering the dose. You don't say whether she is type 1 or type 2 and doing shots, what kind of insulin, or pump. There are long acting, fast acting insulins and insulins in between.

I don't understand the connection between insulin and anxiety? Is anxiety raising her blood sugars? That can happen.

I hope she or you can talk to the doctor because both high and low blood sugars can be dangerous.

What type of side effects? Insulin can be very effective at bringing blood sugar levels down, when they are too high. Getting the right dose may take time and conferring with your doctor.

@brianpollardmayo Many on this forum are dependent on seeing their respective PCPs for diabetic answers. With your limited information, that sounds like the case. In my opinion, a type 2 diabetic taking insulin should be treated by an endocrinologist. An endocrinologist would probably switch medication or lower the dose if there were side effects to the medication. When taking insulin, most start at a very low doses since 2 types of insulin are involved. I cannot imagine being put on anxiety medication after 4 short weeks, especially an endocrinologist.

If you are talking about Ozempic, there can be side effects. A lower dose like .5mg may be appropriate if the initial dose were higher.

I felt the need to respond. I've been insulin dependent for 54 years. Anxiety is OK. After all these years I still get anxious at times but experience in knowing how to deal with insulin treatment as reduced that a lot.
You most likely have been told she should keep her glucose numbers between 70-180 (as recommended by the ADA) or some other range suitable for her. Just remember this is what to TRY for most of the time. No insulin dependent patient can achieve that 100% of the time, so don't get anxious about that. It is not possible, especially when first starting out and then ever. High glucose readings for days on end will contribute to complications. High for a few hours I wouldn't worry about. Anxiety about low's is a good thing. They can get to be on the serious side rather quickly. Trembling, sweating, and disorientation should be treated with glucose tablets, juice or other fast acting sugar and should always be carried with you. As long as she can eat/ drink it, blood glucose will come up, may take 20 minutes, but it will come up. If it goes high as a resul, then treat the high.
She should have been given some guidelines such as 1 unit of fast acting insulin will reduce glucose about 50 points. 15 of carbs will generally raise it about 50 points.
And don't fall for, what some doctor's will say, "You only need to check glucose before meals and bedtime." Biggest piece of BS advice ever given!! Check as often as YOU feel necessary. If not feeling quite right, check it. So what if one is checking 8-20 times a day. One is learning to deal with diabetes and one needs that information. With information one is not stuck eating boiled chicken breast and kale the rest of their life!
Technology can be a big help but with the basics one can live with this disease. IMHO
The best to your wife and you. And thanks to you for caring so much. It helps to have a village.

Wow! If you for sure can trace her symptoms back to insulin - like lantus - there is another long acting insulin “Tresiba” that I take. Works the same as Lantus. I also take humalog since I am a Type 1 diabetic of 60 years. Don’t know how you substitute that.

I think we need more info from @brianpollardmayo in order to be helpful.

Spot on @drlundeen! The other thing that helped me was to use a CGM to keep track of trends and averages

I don't have any specific advice. As I am grateful that diabetes is one of the few diseases I don't have. I had hypoglycemia episodes frequently for about 5+- years, then it calmed down.
I just wanted to let you know how very touched I was with your post. Your wife has been cursed with diabetes and BLESSED with a loving caring husband. I hope she knows how lucky she is. I know this doesn't fix her pains, but at least she's not alone.
🫂🩵🫂🩵 to you for being such an amazing husband.
I am obviously married to your identical twin 😇🩵🤪, LOL, cuz without my husband, I quite literally wouldn't be alive.
I feel so bad and guilty for my health issues ruining our lives, and putting my husband in such a yucky life taking care of me. I try to let him know that I do understand that my health impacts his health too. I am sure your wife feels the same way about you. Please remember to take care of yourself too, you deserve as good of health as you can. 💪💙😇sending you strength and love, so you can continue to be the angel that you are. Maybe let your wife read this thread you started, so she will really appreciate your love. ShelleyW

Agree. A CGM is a real eye opener and a great tool.